Category Archives: Small Business

The workplace is a melting pot of diverse backgrounds and eclectic personalities, so it’s unreasonable to expect everyone will get along swimmingly all the time. Still, there is an expectation that employees will act civilly toward one another and ignore petty annoyances.

Even minor irritations can send productivity plummeting, so how you handle toxic co-workers can make or break your day. Long term, how you manage these people can determine your career trajectory.

Investing in a green office building proves to be a growing trend in the business culture today. Focus has shifted from viewing a building as a necessary place to perform work to understanding the environmental impact of the structure and the way it operates.

Also known as sustainable buildings, green buildings are defined as a structure and process that are environmentally responsible from location and construction to use and demolition.

If you want to find success in the world of business, you’ll need to be prepared.

A lot of people view starting a business as a way to get rich quick, but they usually end up disappointed when things don’t work out. A true entrepreneur has many defining qualities, and they are always learned through hard work and dedication.

No one is born to be a business person, but you can become one by learning from the habits of the best.

They Create Win/Win Situations

Good entrepreneurs are usually good leaders, and good leaders know how to think in terms of win/win situations. This is basically another way of describing assertive behavior. Assertive people are always looking to find situations that offer mutual benefits to all parties involved. Continue reading →

Owning your own business is a noble dream. Everywhere you turn, you’ll read some success story of an entrepreneur who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and is now living the dream of being their own boss.

And while that is a great ideal to strive for, that doesn’t change the fact that starting a business is hard. And we mean REALLY hard.

So while everyone loves a success story, it’s unwise to go into your endeavor thinking that you’re just going to jump right into the black. So prepare yourself from a little tough love from the school of reality.

Buying a franchise is one of the best ways to start and run a successful business. The most visible examples of thriving franchises are in the fast food industry (Burger King, KFC, etc.), but there are numerous strong franchise businesses in almost every other market space, from plumbing to child care to management consulting. The initial investment varies as well, from tens of thousands of dollars for some personal services businesses to millions for national restaurant and hotel brands. While each franchise is a unique opportunity, before you buy a franchise consider these general pros and cons.

Starting a business is exciting. Suddenly, you are pursuing your dream and hoping to make money in the process. But according to Bloomberg, eight out of ten entrepreneurs who start businesses fail in the first 18-months. What can be done to prevent your own failure? Here are three major pitfalls business owners find themselves in.

In Part I, we looked at blogs as a tool to engage and inspire your audience and to build trust. Part II covers an honest look at social media, its demographics, uses and best practices. Overlook these two powerful marketing tools at your peril because the ROI is significant in keeping your base and expanding it.Continue reading →

Back in the Dark Ages of the 20th century, customers knew merchants and did business with those they knew and trusted. Big-box stores such as Wal-Mart, big-box services such as H&R Block and online retailers such as Amazon offer little opportunity for you to get to know them. Their sheer size and impact make customers comfortable, but the typical business doesn’t have that advantage. People want to connect, especially with online providers. Connection builds trust, and people will do business with you if they trust you. If you want to bring customers into your fold with minimal expense, read on to find out what no longer works, and what two powerful marketing tools can engage your customers.Continue reading →